Former south-west woman to sentenced over $2.5 million fraud next week

ANDREW THOMSON25 Jan 2014, 4 a.m.

A FORMER south-west woman will be sentenced to a jail term next week after pleading guilty in a $2.5 million fraud case.

A FORMER south-west woman will be sentenced to a jail term next week after pleading guilty in a $2.5 million fraud case.

Kylie Renee Lynd, 35, yesterday appeared in Warrnambool County Court charged with 60 offences, including obtaining property and financial advantage by deception, attempting to commit an indictable act and failing to answer bail.

Lynd wrote 85 cheques for up to $625,000, used them to open accounts at financial institutions and then obtained cash advances.

When the original cheques were dishonoured, Lynd went through the same process at other financial institutions.

The fraud offences happened in four months between May 31 and September 8, 2005.

Lynd then fled the state, failing to appear on bail in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on January 31, 2006.

The mother-of-three has been held in custody for 242 days since being extradited back to Victoria from NSW in May last year.

She also has nine outstanding warrants in other states — three in South Australia issued in 2007 and six in Queensland issued in 2009.

It is understood NSW police have also initiated investigations and are waiting for Lynd to be sentenced in Victoria before proceeding with their inquiries.

Of that, $78,303 has been recovered so the outstanding amount was $20,091.

Defence counsel Stephen Payne said his client’s life took a turn for the worse after the suicide of her husband Darrell on August 8, 2003.

She formed a relationship with another man eight-weeks after the death of her husband. Mr Payne said that man came up with the cheque scheme and encouraged Lynd to write the valueless cheques.

Mr Payne said at that time Lynd was suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, had unresolved issues about the death of her husband and was fearful her new partner would self-harm if she didn’t carry out his idea.

He said the numbers written on the cheques were scary at first glance but members of the community were only about $20,000 out of pocket.

Judge Mullaly said the guilty plea only came after police eventually caught up with Lynd near Tamworth last year.